What does redbird mean?
Redbird is an informal North American common name for certain conspicuously red birds. Its most familiar referent is the northern cardinal, a crested songbird whose male has brilliant red plumage, a black face mask, and a thick orange-red bill. In some areas, however, speakers use redbird for the scarlet tanager, which has vivid red body plumage contrasting with black wings and tail. Because the name combines a visible color with the general category bird rather than identifying a formal taxonomic group, it can be ambiguous. It is nevertheless familiar in American speech, garden and feeder culture, folk naming, and descriptions of birds encountered outdoors. Redbird conveys vivid color more strongly than it conveys precise biological identity. When an exact species matters, as in field identification or detailed writing, cardinal, scarlet tanager, or the appropriate scientific name should be used instead.
nounAn informal North American common name for a red bird, especially the northern cardinal. In some regions, it refers instead to the scarlet tanager, so it is not a precise taxonomic name.
- A common name for the northern cardinal, especially in parts of the United States.
- A regional common name for the scarlet tanager.
"A brilliant redbird flashed among the branches before disappearing into the canopy."
"The redbird perched on the feeder while the morning crowd watched from the garden."
"Birders identified the redbird as a scarlet tanager after it emerged from the pine canopy."
The standard plural is redbirds, although the word is often used in the singular when referring collectively to birds of the kind.
"Several redbirds gathered around the feeder."
Depending on where you hear it, “redbird” may name either a blazing cardinal or a scarlet tanager.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does redbird come from?
Redbird is an English compound formed from red and bird. Red descends from Old English rēad and ultimately from an Indo-European color root also represented in cognates such as Latin ruber; this root also underlies words including ruby, ruddy, and russet. Bird comes from Old English byrd and is cognate with forms such as German Vogel. The compound names birds by their conspicuous red coloration rather than by a shared taxonomic classification.
How redbird is actually used
The term is informal and species-ambiguous. Its referent varies by region and speaker, so scientific bird names or more specific common names are preferable in formal identification contexts.
Easily confused with redbird
A redbird usually refers to a wholly or prominently red bird such as a cardinal, whereas a redwing is a red-winged blackbird with mostly black plumage.